The Votes Really Do Count

Guest Post by Michael Chambers
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The new Town Council is complete. Tom Gentz is President; Paula Andersen is Vice President, with Dan Slattery, George Tremblay, and Lisa DiBello filling out the council seats. The Charter Revision Question 10 approved by the electorate actually allows the highest vote-getter the right of first refusal for the President’s seat and then the second vote-getter has the same right to refuse the Vice President’s seat. This most likely won’t happen so the results of the election means that the voter essentially determines the leadership of the Council, as it should be. This change in the Charter keeps one group from flexing its muscle over another group. It also keeps the assignment of Council roles open and transparent.

Those who point to the party affiliation of Ms. Andersen, as being detrimental to the operation of the Council, or imply that she will pursue party politics cannot understand the concept of teamwork. The voters want teamwork among their elected officials not a continuance of the divisive campaign rhetoric that beset this town. I see this election as an opportunity to bring this town and its people back to normalcy and the voter has anointed the CCA-sponsored candidates as the administrators of that change. It doesn’t matter that Ms. Andersen was supported by the CDTC; her responsibility is to all the people and not just to the Democratic Party. Solutions to the issues facing Charlestown will require cogent and persuasive arguments and party rhetoric will not stand up to such scrutiny.